Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!hplabs!hpcea!hpsrla!hpsrlc!darrylo
From: darrylo@hpsrlc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Lost clusters, chains, and files
Message-ID: <3320021@hpsrlc.HP.COM>
Date: Wed, 10-Jun-87 11:27:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpsrlc.3320021
Posted: Wed Jun 10 11:27:52 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jun-87 08:59:25 EDT
References: <1855@isis.UUCP>
Organization: Network Measurements Div - Santa Rosa, CA
Lines: 49

In comp.sys.ibm.pc, tkoppel@isis.UUCP (Ted Koppel) writes:

> Earlier this evening, when running a "chkdsk b:*.*", I got the
> wonderful and mysterious message:
>    1 lost cluster found in 1 chain -- 
>     Convert lost chains to files?
> 
> What does this mean? The chkdsk went on to say that the disk itself
> had all sorts of file system errors .. Can one recover from this 
> "lost cluster condition" without reformatting the disk?
> 
> Many thanks..
> 
> -- 
> Ted Koppel == CARL - Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries ==
>     303-750-9142    !hao!isis!tkoppel     CompuServe: 71460,1572
> ----------

     The answer is a "qualified yes".  The default action for chkdsk is to
report but not fix errors (I'm not sure if this is true for *ALL* errors --
very severe ones *may* get fixed).  To get chkdsk to "fix" these errors, you
need to specify the "/f" switch: "chkdsk B:*.* /f".  This time, answer "y"
to the question, "Convert lost chains to files?", and chkdsk will convert
any lost chains that it finds into files (why it asks this question when
the "/f" switch is not specified is beyond me).

***** WARNING!  WARNING!  WARNING! *****
NOTE: IF THE DISK (FLOPPY OR HARD DISK) IS *REALLY* CORRUPTED, RUNNING
CHKDSK WILL NOT DO ANY GOOD AND MAY EVEN TURN THE FILE SYSTEM INTO EVEN MORE
GARBAGE.

     Chkdsk tries to fix the disk as best as it can.  However, something
trashed your disk (like a crashing program, a program that terminated
without cleaning up its files, a TSR conflict, etc.), and this something
may have also trashed some or all of the files on the disk.  This can range
from a file whose contents is complete garbage to a file where only ONE
byte has changed.

     After chkdsk has "fixed" the disk, examine the files which were
created from the lost chain(s).  These are placed in the root directory of
the disk, and are of the form "FILExxxx.CHK", where "xxxx" is a number.

     -- Darryl Okahata
	hplabs!hpcea!hpsrla!darrylo
	CompuServe: 75206,3074

Disclaimer: the above is the author's personal opinion and is not the
opinion or policy of his employer or of the little green men that
have been following him all day.